Page:History of Woman Suffrage Volume 6.djvu/494

HISTORY OF WOMAN SUFFRAGE to look after the individual voters. Larger cities had a chair- man and board of officers combined with the assembly and elec- tion district organization. In Buffalo, Mrs. Thew Wright headed a capable board ; in Rochester one was led by Mrs. Alice Clement, later by Mrs. Henry G. Danforth; in Syracuse by Mrs. Mary Hyde Andrews ; in Utica by Miss Lucy C. Watson. By the end of the campaign, in addition to volunteers, 88 trained organizers were at work in the 57 counties outside of Greater New York. The National Suffrage Association contributed four of its best workers and paid their salaries. Connecticut, New Jersey, Penn- sylvania, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and some of the south- ern and western States sent valuable workers. Early in 1917 the entire organization was well developed and suffrage work was at its height when it was suddenly stopped short by the entrance of the United States into the World War. At once everything else became of secondary importance. The Suffrage Party, like all organizations of women, was eager to serve the country and seized the first opportunity, which came with the order from Governor Charles S. Whitman for a military census of all the men and women of the State over 21 years of age. Entire responsibility for organizing and carrying on this work in several counties was given to the party. From April to August the suffrage campaign was almost entirely suspended while its leaders took a prominent part in war activities. It was only about three months before election that the suffrage issue again became dominant. The amendment must come before the voters at the November election. With the United States en- gaged in a World War for democracy it seemed impossible to allow democracy to be defeated at home, and therefore it was decided that the suffrage campaign must be carried on. In spite of some opposition Mrs. Whitehouse called a State conference at Saratoga the end of August. Besides the distrac- tion caused by the war other difficulties had arisen. The White House at Washington had been "picketed" by the National Woman's Party and the President burned in effigy as a protest because the Federal Suffrage Amendment had not been sub- mitted by Congress. The press was filled with the story and the public was indignant. Because the country was at war and the